Apitherapy Fact or Fiction?

John T. Ambrose, Ph.D

October 8, 2013

Apitherapy

• Definition - The use of hive products for medical purposes

• We will expand this definition to include nutritional uses

• Apitherapy includes honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, and bee venom

• Beeswax is used in medicine but it is an inert substance and is not thought to have active medical properties

Claims for Honey

• Nutrition

• Vitamins and Minerals

• Antioxidants

• Digestive

• Sore Throats

• Allegeries

• Antibiotics (also burn treatments)

Nutrition

• Honey has 60 calories per tablespoon and per volume is sweeter than sugar (sucrose)

• Except for contaminants in honey, the calories are all carbohydrates

Vitamins and Minerals

• Honey does contain trace amounts of most water soluble vitamins

• Honey also contains trace amounts of some minerals

• Honey is a better source of vitamins & minerals than is sugar, but all of these things are in trace amounts.

Antioxidants

• Honey does contain varying amounts of some antioxidants

• There is no scientific evidence that honey is a good source of antioxidants for humans

Digestion

• Honey is a mixture of glucose ( blood sugar) and fructose ( fruit sugar) and it is very easily digested by humans

• Except for people who are very ill, this digestive advantage is of minimal value

Sore Throats

• Scientific tests have shown that honey is as good as or better than any of the common OTC remedies for sore throats

• Honey coats the throat and it also has antibacterial properties

Allergies

• Honey is widely used by individuals to treat allergies such as hay fever

• There is considerable testimonial evidence but no real scientific evidence that honey will cure allergies

• People who suffer from hay fever are dealing with wind–blown and not insect–carried pollen

• The value of honey for treating allergies is still uncertain, but there does not seem to be a downside to this remedy

Antibiotics and Burns

• Honey does have antibacterial properties • It is acidic with a pH of 3.5 to 4.5

• It is a super-saturated ( hydrophilic) solution

• It produces hydrogen peroxide

• Honey has been and is an effective treatment for cuts, scrapes, and burns

• Problems: It is messy and there is no dosage control

Manuka Honey

• This is a honey from the North Island of New Zealand

• It does seem to be more effective than most honeys in treating bacterial infections

• Tests have shown this honey to be effective when applied dermally, but there is no evidence that it is effective orally

Bee Pollen

Supplemental Facts

History of Pollen in Apitherapy

• The use of pollen for nutrition and medical purposes goes back at least 5,000 years

• Example: Charles Butler in his book The Feminine Monarchy, 1607

• Pollen will cause hair to regrow

• Pollen will cause gray hair to back to its natural color

• Increased vitality in men

• Thickens thin blood (anemia)

• Pollen will regulate a person’s weight

Nutritional Value of Pollen

• Bee Pollen does contain protein and a number of minerals and vitamins

• Economic value of protein in bee pollen? • Compare to a meat product such as ground beef

• There is also the question of whether the protein is usable protein by humans. Not all protein ( pig’s feet, chicken’s feet, feathers, and finger nails) are usable by humans

The Story of President Reagan and Bee Pollen

• During his presidency in the 1980’s he was shot in an assassination attempt

• He not only survived, but his surgeon said, this is a man in his sixties with the body of forty year old man

• Ronald Reagan ate pollen bars almost everyday and this led to a temporary fad of increased pollen sales

Supplement Facts

Amount Per Serving % Daily Value

Bee Propolis Extract (2x) equivalent to

1,000 mg natural state 500 mg *

*Daily value not established.

F

Definition of Propolis

• Propolis is a gummy resin produced by woody plants which is collected and modified by honey bees for use in the hive. Propolis has antibacterial properties and forms an air-tight and water-proof substance when it dries. Beekeepers often call propolis bee-glue.

Medicinal Uses

• Propolis has shown to be an effective for the following uses

• Treatment of scrapes and cuts to prevent and to control infections

• Treatments of scrapes and cuts to form a medicated bandage

• To treat stomach ulcers • To treat hearing loss in special cases

• Pollen has also been used historically as an all- purpose tonic. If it tastes bad, then it must be good for you

• It has little, if any, nutritional value

Royal Jelly

Storehouse of Nutrients - Mega Strength

Dietary Supplement - Full Potency & Purity Guaranteed

Royal Jelly contains life forming highly nutritional complexity of nature's superfood that queen bee feeds on and incredibly lays 2,000 eggs per day. Storehouse of naturally occurring nutrients: full array of B-vitamins, essential amino acids, fatty acids, phytosterols, enzymes, acetyl choline, gamma globulin, lecithin, natural hormones, 10-HDA, catalystic factor "R" and many more.

Free of yeast, salt, preservatives and common allergens.

Nutritional Value

• Royal Jelly is a high protein substance that is rich in the water soluble vitamins

• It is a highly nutritious food for honey bees and somewhat less so for humans

• The cost of including royal jelly in most human diets is prohibitive

• It takes one cell of royal jelly to produce one queen honey bee – do the math

Historical Uses of Royal Jelly

• As with pollen it goes back thousands of years

• There is a story of royal jelly being used to save the life of a Catholic Pope. This led to the idea that royal jelly had health benefits

• In the Orient, royal jelly is sold as an aphrodisiac for older men

Bee Venom

• Bee Venom is used for a number of medical issues, some of which are scientifically supported and some which are not.

Desensitization to Bee Stings

• A small number of people are allergic to bee stings and can suffer a systemic reaction which can result in death

• Bee Venom therapy can be used to desensitize (cure) these people.

• The process involves injecting small, but increasing, amounts of bee venom into the patient over a period of time --- about six months.

• This process is endorsed by the medical community

Bee Venom for Inflammation

• Bee Venom has some anti-inflammatory properties

• It has shown promise in treating some forms of arthritis and other joint inflammations

• There has always been some claims that beekeepers have less arthritis than do non-beekeepers. However it may be that beekeepers generally are more active

Questionable Uses of Bee Venom

• This includes treatment for MS, CP, and similar disabilities

• In particular there has been on and off again interest in bee sting therapy for these conditions

• The problems with this kind of treatment are • The patient may be allergic to bee venom • Bee venom itself, in sufficient amounts, can be deadly to a person • Young children, older adults, and those with compromised immune

systems are often highly at risk.

• There is a definite downside (risk) to these treatments

Apiptherapy Summary

• There are nutritional benefits to bee products such as honey, pollen, and royal jelly; but there are limitations

• Honey and propolis both have anti-bacterial properties and they are relatively safe to use

• Bee Venom also has its place in medical treatments but venom can be very toxic if not used properly

• Any medicinal uses of bee pollen are questionable

• In all cases one sure consider the negative risks that are associated with a treatment as compared to the potential benefits.